The Giant-con Gold Deposit: A Once-linked Archean Lode-gold System

• Main Author: Siddorn, James P.
• Other Authors: Cruden, Alexander R.
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Gold; Structural Geology; Yellowknife; Mullion; Ore Plunge; West Bay Fault; 0372
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/29870

The Giant and Con deposits, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, represent a classic Archean lode-gold deposit now offset by a major Proterozoic fault (West Bay Fault). The link between the Giant and Con deposits is supported by their similarities. However, there are distinct differences between the two deposits in terms of the offset of stratigraphy, response to D2 deformation, geometry, gold mineralization styles, and depth of gold mineralization. Gold mineralization in the Giant-Con system formed over a protracted history of deformation and hydrothermal activity. Early D1 extension resulted in offset and excision of stratigraphy and the formation of refractory gold mineralization within strongly deformed schistose zones and quartz-carbonate veins. The main D2 deformation in the district resulted in the strong overprint of D1 refractory gold mineralization and was associated with the northwest-southeast flattening of the Giant deposit and progressive reverse-dextral shear of the Con deposit. Free-milling gold mineralization is associated with the D2 event, forming deeper in the Giant-Con system, creating a vertical zonation of free-milling quartz-carbonate veins overprinting earlier refractory gold mineralization that formed higher in the system. Ore plunge in the Giant deposit is controlled by the interaction of the original geometry of D1 deformation zones with the effects of D2 flattening. Ore plunge in the Con deposit is controlled by the orientation of F2 fold and B2 boudin axes in auriferous quartz-carbonate veins. D3 reactivation of the deformation zones (probably related to the end of the D2 compressive event) caused local reactivation of structures and is not associated with gold mineralization. D4 Proterozoic faulting offset and segmented the two deposits, including the major offset by the West Bay Fault. A new reconstruction of the West Bay Fault shows that the Con deformation zone is the down dip extension of the Giant deposit and not the Campbell deformation zone as previously thought.